The present invention is directed to a connector for releasably attaching a wheeled vehicle such as a shopping cart to a wheelchair. With the connector installed on the cart, the wheelchair occupant can readily attach and detach the connector and cart from the chair while remaining seated.
Shoppers who are confined to a wheelchair and those who need to use a wheelchair for extended shopping trips often require a basket or container to hold selected purchases and other items. Typically, a hand basket or container is held in the lap of the wheelchair shopper as he or she moves throughout the store. This is cumbersome for a wheelchair occupant, making it not only difficult to maneuver the chair, but also difficult to reach for shelved items.
Some businesses furnish wheelchairs for the convenience of their customers. Such a wheelchair is occasionally equipped with a basket for holding items for purchase. Typically the basket is attached to the handles of the wheelchair and extends across the chair's seating area. In some instances the basket is pivotally attached to one handle and can be swung upwardly and out of the way, thereby allowing the shopper to enter and exit the wheelchair. There are drawbacks to these types of devices. The size of the basket is limited due to its location on the wheelchair. Additionally, the basket must be emptied of its contents before the occupant can exit the wheelchair, thereby restricting the user's ability to freely get into and out of the wheelchair. This arrangement also necessitates a shopper abandoning his or her own personal wheelchair to use those provided by the store, certainly an inconvenience for a handicapped individual.
The present invention provides a connector that can be attached to a full sized wheeled cart and that can be readily attached to a wheelchair by the wheelchair occupant. The occupant can readily attach the connector and an attached wheeled cart to his or her wheelchair while remaining seated in their wheelchair. The connector has an offset actuator arm that provides a variable fitting when attaching to a wheelchair. Consequently, the invention is adapted for attachment to different sizes of wheelchairs.
During use, the connector allows for relative vertical movement between the cart and the attached wheelchair, allowing the attached vehicles of the combined assembly to travel smoothly together over uneven surfaces. Additionally, this connector is durable and convenient for wheelchair occupants with various levels of ability to use. It enables a user with minimum, moderate and severe mobility limitations to be able to readily attach and detach a cart from his or her wheelchair without assistance. The invention can provide individuals who temporarily use a wheelchair and individuals who are confined to a wheelchair with a higher level of independence, particularly when they are shopping.